Have you ever noticed that once you make up your mind about something, you start seeing lots of evidence that supports your decision? Your “sightings” aren't the result of Divine intervention. They happen because your brain, like mine and everyone else's, selects from among the gigabytes of available information and presents you with just the right things to match your conclusions. According to Chris Chabris and Dan Simons, co-authors of The Invisible Gorilla, our … [Read more...]
Surviving the Roller Coaster of Business, and Love
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Most things in life cycle. Everything from business to our relationships feel as if they go “up,” but then they come back “down” again. Our lives feel great one day and feel lousy the next. Our opportunities expand, and then they contract — only to expand again. Even during the heyday of my fundraising consulting practice I would go from having more clients than I could comfortably manage to waiting anxiously for a potential client to call. You Haven't … [Read more...]
Light Up Your Life: Get on Board with Oprah
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I was just getting ready to create my next post, “Stuck in a Rut and What to Do About It” when my friend and colleague Gail Perry of Fired Up Fundraising called to talk about what we would write an article about for Guidestar. Gail and I are working together on a project to make material about capital campaign fundraising available on line and Guidestar has agreed to run a piece for us. It's serious stuff, so I was surprised when Gail started reading me headlines from … [Read more...]
Recognizing the Symptoms of Impending Brilliance
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Before the beginning of great brilliance, there must be chaos. — I Ching And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom. — Anaïs Nin The Symptoms I recognize The Symptoms. They've been a recurring “feature” my whole adult life... Trouble breathing... Nothing frightening in itself, but noticeable Restlessness... I need to stand up, walk around, and fidget with my environment Racing heart... No, that's not … [Read more...]
The Johnny Appleseed Approach to Life
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John Chapman (1774-1845), also known as Johnny Appleseed, was an American pioneer who planted over a hundred thousand square miles of apple orchards in western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. Quite a feat when you think of the state of transportation in those days – not to mention the fact that he walked it all barefoot! The apples that Johnny planted weren’t particularly sweet or tasty, but sour apple orchards caught on because the apples made great hard cider or … [Read more...]
Making Tough Decisions: A Coin Toss With a Twist
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I love the sense of excitement that comes from being clear about things. I think quickly, and it's often easy for me to make decisions based on... well, I guess "intuition" is the best explanation. But still, like everyone else, sometimes I just can't decide which course to take. Fortunately, my friend Anne gave me a perfect decision-making method for those times when I simply can't commit one way or the other. A Foolproof Decision Making Technique for When You … [Read more...]